


Begun Broken

by Skeren



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Brain Damage, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-22 23:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6097153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skeren/pseuds/Skeren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Zack and Cloud met, it was the worst day of Cloud's life.</p><p>But there was nothing anyone would ever be able to do to convince Cloud of that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written between the Augusts of 2007 and 2009. 
> 
> This was inspired by a story of another fandom that someone told me about once. It was meant to be a longer composition, but that didn't end up happening.

Everything was a blur, the haze intense and nearly impossible to sort through. All he really registered of it was that there was yelling and a sharp pain in his head. After that, there was nothing at all for the longest time.

When he finally woke up, he knew something was different. What, he wasn’t entirely sure, but something was, and the infirmary only really confirmed that something serious had happened. There was someone by his bed, the man black haired and violet-eyed, and while he looked familiar, he couldn’t pin down where he knew him from.

Thinking a bit, he realized it was hard to pin down most things, and while it didn’t make his head _hurt_ exactly to try so hard, it made him feel horribly dizzy. So, instead, he concentrated back on the man with the glowing eyes by his bed. The eyes were important, and the word SOLDIER whispered across his mind before vanishing back where everything that made sense seemed to be going. 

He clung to the thought none the less, studying the man, who he realized seemed to be staring intently into space. His study of the man lasted until his eyes were finally met. He didn’t expect the relief and surprise that followed on the heels of it though. Why would someone who he never talked to before be relieved that he was looking at him?

“You’re awake! You’re awake.” The second time he said it was much quieter, and he had to wonder at the seeming caution. The man continued in the same soft tones. “There was a good chance you weren’t going to wake up from that blow trooper. It was pretty severe. If I’d gotten you here any slower you wouldn’t have survived, let alone had a chance of waking up.” 

That... explained absolutely nothing. Of course. Okay, time to see if talking was working as badly as some other things seemed to be. “Wha- What happened?”

“You got caught up in a fight under the plate. Someone got you from behind in the head with something nasty and sharp. I was down there to visit someone, so I was close enough to see the commotion. Wasn’t fast enough to keep them from hitting you though. You remember your name?”

Did the man feel guilty he’d gotten hit? He didn’t need to, he’d been hit plenty of times in his life, though something made him think that it wouldn’t be good to mention that. After a long moment passed, he realized that he was getting looked at expectantly, and struggled to remember the question. Oh, right, his name. “Cloud.”

The word got a smile from the man, and he just eyed him back. He wanted to sit up, but just thinking about it seemed hard, so he didn’t try. “Okay, that’s good. You remember your age?”

That... was a harder question. Thinking on it, careful to avoid that nasty sense of dizzy disorientation, he hummed a yes. “Sixteen. I think.”

“Almost, yeah.” Then the man reached out and moved something on his face, making him realize he’d been staring from one eye only, since suddenly he could see far better. 

Hrm. Now he could feel the bandages. Lots of bandages. “Who’re you?”

He felt the dregs of sleep tugging at him, but he ignored them, just staring at the man who said he’d saved his life and waiting. “Oh. Well, my name is Zack. Looks like I’ll be taking care of you til you’re back on your feet kid.” He paused, then sighed and shook his head. “You just go on to sleep, alright? The next few days are gonna be really long.”

He watched the man, Zack, for a long long moment, then just settled back into his pillow. Well, if he said so, then he guessed it must be true. Closing his eyes, he decided to let sleep shuffle him back under its blanket. Zack, after all, said he’d be there later, so he could ask him more questions then.


	2. Chapter 2

Zack closed his eyes and leaned against the doorway by the hospital room, out of the line of sight of the blond inside. 

As long as the kid didn’t look at him, he wouldn’t realize he was there. Some people wouldn’t think that was unusual, but it meant more than those some people apparently thought. It meant the kid’s awareness of his surroundings had gone to pot.

Tapes he’d gotten from security had shown him how the kid used to move, the cautious ready way he’d walk, or the way he’d avoid attention if anyone else was around. He’d been a cautious kid, not the most graceful, but very aware. None of that was apparent these days. 

The last few weeks had been _hard_. Hard in ways he hadn’t expected actually. What’s a guy supposed to do when he has to answer the same question day after day after day? At the moment, he really didn’t want to go in and start the cycle over again with the blond.

He needed to. 

He needed to do _something_ because Shinra execs were getting curious and others were offering solutions that he _really_ didn’t like the sounds of. It wasn’t the kid’s fault he’d been one of their best cadet shooters. It wasn’t the kid’s fault he’d been hurt. But apparently, people were damn determined to think that it was the kid’s fault that he wasn’t getting better.

A month and a half wasn’t long enough for someone to get over an injury like that, but he’d already heard verdict that the kid wasn’t getting sent home. He wasn’t sure if that was better or worse, but the signs that the kid wasn’t getting to go on active duty pointed to worse. There wasn’t a whole lot left to do in Shinra after a certain point that people could class good. He’d asked Seph, maybe hoped his assumptions were wrong... but the way the man’s face had closed up had told him plenty.

It hadn’t had a bad side effect though, that conversation, because he knew the man had started, in the last week or so, to show interest in the blond’s well-being. Anything that could get Seph to not focus so hard inside anymore was a good thing.

Closing his eyes a moment, he took a deep breath before pushing away from the wall and starting towards the blond sitting on the bed, bright blue eyes focused on a reflective puzzle ball that someone had given him. 

”Hey kid, how you doing this morning?”

It was a moment before he got an answer, but when he did it was accompanied by a bright smile. “Look what someone gave me.”

“It’s really cool looking. Remember who did?” He almost immediately felt guilty as the smile faded.

“No... I’m sorry.” The blond looked away, back to the ball as he twisted another piece around the edge of it. 

Quiet lingered for a few long minutes.

”Hey, Cloud.” Blue eyes flit back up, blinking with something like surprise. He hadn’t forgotten he was there again, had he? “They’re saying that it’s time to release you from in here. Buuut, it seems like your stuff’s been moved out of the barracks so we can’t send you back there.”

There was a slightly confused look, then Cloud’s brow wrinkled up in thought under the edge of the bandaging. “So where am I going?”

“I talked to the doctor earlier today, and they’ve grudgingly given me the right to have you stay with me for a while. I really don’t think they know what to do with you.”

”I’m not going back on active duty...?”

And that there was the crux of why he hadn’t wanted to do this conversation today. “No, you’re not. They’ve said they won’t until your memory gets better.”

“But it’s not.” He pressed his lips together and looked back down at the ball. “Will they send me back to Nibelheim?”

“No, they’re not sure that’s a good idea either.”

“Oh.” 

Silence fell again, and Zack moved to start gathering up the collection of things the teen had somehow acquired. After a little while, he felt eyes on him.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting together your stuff.”

“Why?”

He paused, then put one of the last things in his bag. “Because we’re moving you to my rooms on the base.”

“I’m not going back to the barracks?”

He shook his head, looking sideways at the blond. “No, you’re not. Here, get dressed, okay?” 

”Kay.” There was a beat as the blond wiggled into his pants. “I forgot your name again.”

Looking away at the tone of frustration, Zack just sighed, straightening up. “Zack. My name is Zack. You’ll remember it eventually.”

The blond’s tone was just a little bitter as he shrugged into his shirt. “Maybe.”

Unfortunately, maybe was all he could count on.


	3. Chapter 3

He’d been keeping an eye on the situation. He knew, without a doubt, that Zack was getting frayed, but the man could _not_ remain in the city to watch over a broken cadet. It wasn’t done. 

It would also ruin the boy for any efforts that Zack would try. 

Set, he moved to collect his phone, only to blink when the man he’d been about to call threw open his door, looking a bit wild-eyed. “Seph! Seph, have you seen Cloud? You know, my blond fluff ball? I can’t find him. I’ve been looking for over an hour, but nothing. What if he’s hurt?”

The way Zack’s voice sped as he spoke made him sigh, and he pushed to his feet to slip around his desk. “Fair. You’re making yourself more upset.”

”But he’s missing!”

”I’m sure he’s fine.” He made a dismissive gesture and made for the door where the other man still was. 

”I’m not! He... He can’t feel pain Seph! What if he’s bleeding out somewhere or someone grabbed him or- or-”

”And you hyperventilating will help him in that situation... how exactly?” He briefly touched the man’s shoulder, then slid past him out the door. “Have you checked the roofs?”

“I... no? Why would I?” He heard the man fall into step behind him and decided to be satisfied with that.

“Where is he from?”

”Nibelheim is what I’ve heard, why?” The confusion in Zack’s voice was almost tangible.

“It’s a mountain village.”

”Yeah and?”

” _Mountain village._ ”

When emphasis only got him a confused look back, he sighed, wondering why it was that he kept the man so deep in his personal sphere.

“That means that he might like high places Zack.”

”Oh. OH! Oh. I didn’t even think about that. But... why would he go up, I mean, if his head’s all messed up wouldn’t he stay on the same floor? He was with me up here...”

“He’s injured Zack, not an underdeveloped chick. He still knows how to _think_.” Shaking his head, he felt a grim smile cross his lips. “You’ll get used to it soon enough, I’m sure. It’s only been a week.”

”But what if he’s not _up there_?!”

”Then I’ll help you find him.” He looked over as the other man fell into stunned silence. “You needn’t ask, and I do have my own interest in him.”

”Really?” The home in that tone almost made him grimace, and he took one of the flights of stairs that led up to roof access almost exclusively. 

”Yes. I’m not heartless you know.”

”I know.”

Shaking his head, he pushed open the hatch and slipped out, pointedly gesturing to the figure staring out at the sky near the ledge. “And there we are. Next time, try up hmm?”

”But I looked everywhere, even on the street.” It was a murmur, and the dark haired man made for the blond, obviously checking him over for injuries, much to the lost man’s apparent bafflement.

He followed more slowly, looking the blond over with just a sweep of his eyes. “You worried him Strife.” He waited patiently as wide, surprised blue eyes focused on him, reading the confusion there. “Sephiroth.”

”I... I knew that.” It was a slow murmur, and the injured man patted Zack’s arm lightly as he was hugged. “I don’t think I remember you caring before.”

”Because I didn’t, before.” He understood the significance of the word and nodded slightly, though the blond was distracted when Zack started talking again.

“I was so worried! Don’t wander off like that okay? Why’d you anyway?”

”I saw something neat... then the sky was so blue and the sun is getting low.” Blinking at the man holding onto him, the small man patted him. “I’m okay.”

”Well... don’t do that again. Next time, tell me okay?”

”I’ll try.”

”Good.”

Waiting patiently for Zack to finish, he only then turned to head back inside. “Zack.”

”Yeah Seph?”

”Come to my office with me, you’re being sent on a mission in two hours.”

”What?! I can’t do that!”

Looking over his shoulder, he could see the mix of panic and relief in his eyes. “You can and you will. Bring Strife with you, I’ll keep him from wandering loose while you’re gone.”

With that, he slipped off the roof, confident that at least this once, disaster was not imminent.


End file.
